Speaking during a panel session at the 5th Bay of Bengal Conversation in Dhaka on Saturday (October 3, 2026), Professor Fair noted an imbalance of interest among major geopolitical actors regarding Bangladesh. Dismissing popular perceptions of an active geopolitical tug-of-war between Washington and Beijing over Dhaka, Fair stated that the US has largely conceded competitive space to China, which holds vastly superior investment capital. She added that Washington cannot prevent Bangladesh from deepening diplomatic and economic ties with Beijing, as Dhaka will ultimately pursue its own sovereign national interests. During the same session, former Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Mustafa Osman Turan responded to queries regarding potential Bangladeshi alignment with regional security initiatives like the Mecca Pact. Speaking in his personal capacity as a retired diplomat, Turan acknowledged Dhaka's growing interest in expanded defense and diplomatic partnerships across the Muslim world while refraining from commenting on specific intergovernmental military agreements.